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In Reply to: REVIEW: gamut d200 Amplifier (SS) posted by hinduclient on April 12, 2003 at 09:02:35:
Hinduclient,Excellent review of the GamuT D200 Mark III. I especially liked your comparison analysis; it was very useful.
Like you, I, too, am looking for an amplifier in the $5,000 range, but I am willing to spend up to $7,000. And I am also interested in avoiding amps weighing more than 125 pounds.
I auditioned the GamuT D200 Mark II using a pair of Von Schweikert VR4 Gen III Special Edition loudspeakers, an Electrocompaniet EMC1 CD player, a Herron VTSP 1A preamp, and JPS interconnects and cables.
The music used was classical and jazz.
The sound of the Electrocompaniet is smooth, well-balanced, and sweet, and the Herron VTSP 1A is also well-balanced, smooth, sweet, and airy. Both units are relatively neutral and reasonably dynamic.
I concur with your findings concerning the GamuT's bottom and top end. The bass in particular was tight, fast, very dynamic, and articulate. With the VR4 Gen III, drum beats exploded from the loudspeaker's double eight-inch woofers, which could play very low and very loud. (With the VR4 Gen III, a subwoofer is not needed, even in reasonably large rooms.) The GamuT controlled the VR4's woofers very well indeed, giving great impact and drive to low organ passages, such as the opening movement of Joseph Jongen's Symphonie Concertante (Telarc: 80096; Michael Murray organist). Murray holds a 25 Hz cord for about seven seconds! The GamuT/VR4 combination played this cord very well, matching some of the best sound I have heard from a pair of Entec subwoofers accompanied by a pair of Crosby-modified Quad ELS-63 loudspeakers. Standup bass was also rendered well. I could easily hear the bow being drawn across the bass strings, and each note was easily discernible, which is not always the case with lesser amplifiers.
The top end was extend, well-balanced, never harsh, and somewhat airy. The GamuT did not have the upper octave bloom and air of a Audio Research D-250 Servo (the very best I have heard at any price) or a Krell FPB 350MC, but it held its own within its price class.
The midrange was full-bodied, nicely layered, well-balanced, relatively neutral, and very dynamic. Voices were done very well, but did not quite have the same three-dimensional, lit-from-within-quality of a VTL MB750 or a Conrad-Johnson Premier 4.
Macrodynamics were, perhaps, the strongest suit of the GamuT D200. It played with convincing vigor and excitement the first movement of Mozart's Symphony 40 with upmost panache. The massed violins were reproduced with beautiful attack and quick decay, and there was excellent pace and rhythm to the music that kept my foot tapping.
Soundstaging was very good, but not the best I have heard. There was plenty of soundstage depth, width, and height. However, both the VTL MB750 and the Krell FPB 350MC did a better job, but of course with very different loudspeakers in much better rooms. It could very well be that the GamuT would do better in regards to soundstaging if it had been connected to an Aerial 10T or a Magnepan 3.6/R. But for $5,500, it will be difficult, indeed, to find something better.
I did not find the GamuT D200 to be harsh, bright, clinical, or analytical. It does, however, have a yang-like personality that gave a relentless quality to the midrange and upper-midrange that caused me to have listening fatigue after 90 minutes of play. This relentless quality could also be the fault of the VR4 Gen IIIs, but I doubt the fault lies with the other electronic components in the signal path. When I switched systems (Plinius 8200 integrated amp, Jolida CD player, and Meadowlark Shearwater Hotrod loudspeakers), this relentless quality went away. In its place was a supremely sweet, detailed, and musical soound that I could listen to for hours.
Here are my comments to some of the contenders you have listed:
Jeff Rowland Model 10. I am surprised you found this amp to be a "bit harsh." Jeff Rowland equipment tends to have a warm sound.
Classe CAM 350. Yes, this is an excellent amp, and it's on my short list.
Classe CA 201. You would have had better luck with the CA 301, which costs $5,000. It would have been a better match for the GamuT amp.
Rotel 1080. It's good to hear good things about the Rotel amp. My super sounding amp for very little money, especially used, is the Adcom GFA 5500.
Bryston 4B-SST. I'm not surprised about your findings. In the past, I have found Bryston amps to sound a tad forward and bright for my tastes, but they do sound reasonably good with Magnepans.
BAT VK6200. I was a little surprised to learn of your findings. This amp has been hyped in TAS. But thanks for the rundown on this unit. You have saved me the trouble of auditioning it.
Pass X250. I am sorry you didn't get to hear this amp. It's also on my short list.
Proceed HPA2. It's an excellent amp for home theater; I have the AMP 5, which I like very well. I think you would be happier with the GamuT D200, but the Proceed is better made and is very reliable. I have had my AMP 5 for nearly five years, and it's a workhorse. I just turn it on and forget about it. Also, proceed gear, like Mark Levinson equipment, takes a very long time to brake in. My Proceed equipment finally broke in after 1,000 hours (and that's not a typo). The Proceed amp, when properly broken in has a smooth, slightly dark, liquid personality that's very reminiscent of tubed gear. Very nice sounding indeed, but not as dynamic as the GamuT D200.
Van Alstine Fet Valve 350. This unit looks cheaply made. I know that I will get flamed for that comment.
The amps I have under evaluation are as follows:
1. Classe Audio CAM 350 $7,000
2. Parasound Halo JC-1 $6,000
3. PS Audio Classic 250 $5,000
4. Nelson Pass X250 $6,000
5. Theta Dreadnaught II $4,2000 (Two-channel configuration)
6. BAT VK500 $5,800 (With BAT-pack option)
7. McIntosh MC 402 $5,000
8. Classe Audio CA 301 $5,000
9. Monarchy Audio SE-160 $4,000
10. Coda Technologies Amplifier 30 $6,000 (Made by the company who manufactures the Innersound ESL amp)
11. SimAudio Moon W6 Monoblocks $6,5000
12. Belles 350A $3,500
13. Proceed HPA3 $4,800It's a baker's dozen for sure and far too many amps to audition, but I want to be thorough. The next amp I buy will have to last me about 20 years.
Happy listening!
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Follow Ups
- gamut d200 Amplifier (SS) - artar1 20:20:20 04/14/03 (0)
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